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The Funding Crowd 52, The Latest In Linux Crowdfunding News

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With the advent of Linux powered console gaming upon us, we've seen a massive increase in games releasing with day-one support for Linux and more and more older games getting Linux ports. What is perhaps more surprising is how prevalent Linux support has become in crowdfunding, and lately we have even seen biggies like The Dwarves, Indivisible and First Wonder go out of their way to provide Linux versions of their games. These are games hinging on tight funding margins, so what is it that makes our small platform worth the extra effort during a busy crowdfunding campaign? We know a couple of key reasons that developers often decide to support Linux even with our small numbers.

Enthusiasm

In this new era of crowdfunding, the gaming press doesn't rush to cover crowdfunding projects and creators are struggling to get noticed. A handful of enthusiastic Linux backers can lead to some much needed exposure. This can especially make a big difference for developers of "Hidden Gems" who are often starved for any kind of media attention. Dare we speculate that TFC itself has probably had a hand in some turn-arounds for Hidden Gems that were on the borderline between failure and victory?

Generosity

This includes either money, time, or both. Linux backers who can are not starving students have been known to pledge well above the average backer, along the same lines as Linux-user generosity demonstrated in early Humble Bundles. As Linux users, the concept of volunteering for favorite projects is a familiar one, so some have taken on key roles in the community even after a favorite campaign has closed, investing ideas and their not-insignificant technical skills into pushing those projects forward. To quote a recent developer interview by TFC's founder:

Kevin ColeDeveloping for Linux gives you access to a community of intelligent, worldly, and really tech savvy users. A lot of my problems with Project Maiden couldn't be solved if my backers and players weren't geniuses. I definitely want to keep working with Linux folk.


Whatever the reasons, having Linux gamers involved in crowdfunding has had a great payoff: an abundance of new Linux games that got their start with Kickstarter and IndieGoGo campaigns, ranging from big hits by famous studios to highly experimental niche games by little-known Indie developers. This satisfying payoff from earlier backing inspires TFC members to keep our eyes open for new promising projects, so let's get on with sharing the latest batch!

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Fantasy MMORPG Stash: No Loot Left Behind is fast turning into a huge world that is engaging and fun to live in. Stash offers some unusual features for an MMORPG, starting with Linux client support that has been keeping up with the other platforms even during Alpha playtesting! It also features strategic turn-based combat on a grid, which is a strong tradition of RPG board games but seldom attempted in an MMORPG. Crafting in Stash promises to be more engaging than the simple but wide-spread click-on-ingredients mechanism, with a different mini-game corresponding to each class of crafting; those who master a particular mini-game will become master crafters, able to craft the highest quality of that class of items. Even the playable races in Stash are not all run-of-the-mill for an MMORPG, including stone-skinned cousins of The Thing, known as Trullocs.

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If Stash is missing one trulloc, er... missing one thing, it's more players to inhabit this magical world. That's why developer Frogdice has launched a new campaign to expand their community, with stretch goals to be based on number of backers pledging -- rather than additional money raised. Any funds this campaign raises will be invested into improvements in art, commissioning additional professional music, and polishing up GM tools for community leaders to run their own events. Backer input will be used to prioritize these various nice-to-have enhancements... wait, what are we saying? "Nice-to-haves"? The world needs more quality tools for GMs in online games, as the reaction to Sword Coast Legends has shown! Be sure to remember to point that out in your backer feedback, those of you who want to join us in the Penguin Clan...

  • Goal: $7,000+/$1,000
  • Time left: 22 days (24 November)
  • Game pledge: $15
  • Website(s): Developer's website
  • Other: DRM-free download available to backers, Steam


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Wanderer is a captivating mix of genres wrapped in a story-driven sci-fi adventure set in a future where humans have colonized other planets and moons and are spread across massive space stations throughout the Solar System. The game tells the story of the aging convict Rook, who awakes from stasis in an orbital prison facility crash landed on the ruins of an abandoned Earth. Aided by hacker and fellow inmate Jin, a plan to escape the planet comes together, and Rook sets out across the wasteland to locate nine cells blocks which have detached from the prison facility. On his way, he'll encounter both allies and foes in the form of dangerous prisoners and extradimensional beasts.

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The game borrows elements of both cinematic platformer, pseudo turn-based combat and branching story from games as diverse as Another World and Flashback, Paper Mario and Valkyrie Profile, and Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead. Additionally, the protagonist will come across nodes that can be interacted with in a traditional point-and-click adventure game fashion for elements of puzzle solving. These will require both observation and the use of inventory items in order to progress in the game. There will also be a rich cast of companions with unique abilities to choose from at the central hub, which is also where you'll return to upgrade abilities and equipment.

  • Goal: $49k+/$70k
  • Time left: 9 days (11 November)
  • Game pledge: $15
  • Website(s): Official website
  • Other: DRM-free download available to backers, Steam


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The creator of Super Axe Boy aims to combine the best of 2D and 3D platformers by creating a platformer that switches seemlessly between both elements within each level. This game will have segments focused on precision and speed on a 2D grid, mixed in with 3D platforming sections that focus on exploration and puzzle solving. Axe Boy also carries an axe (duh!) that can be used to chop down trees to open up new paths, to attack enemies and to solve puzzles. The engine, design and storyline are already in place, so there shouldn't be much risk involved in backing this campaign. What the creator wants to use the money raised on though, is to pay for fitting NES to N64 era style graphics and a professional soundtrack. Super Axe Boy looks like a lot of fun and backing should be a no-brainer for any fan of the 3D Mario games, which also helped inspire this game.

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  • Goal: 5,000 €+/25k €
  • Time left: 18 days (19 November)
  • Game pledge: 9 €
  • Website(s): Official website
  • Other: DRM-free download available to backers, Steam


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Dungeon crawling doesn't have to be a grim venture; something the creator of The Forgettable Dungeon demonstrates with their colorful and voxel-y pitch for their game, inspired by Zelda, roguelikes and beat 'em ups. You will be able to interact with almost every object in this game, and you have to find clever uses for them to be able to stay alive. The developer is determined to provide a fun co-op experience, and will provide ways for you to revive your team mates should they get killed. If every member of your party dies, you have to start over in a new procedurally generated dungeon. It will also be easy to customize your game, since every character model is represented by a png sprite file, which you can edit in your favoite image editing software. The Forgettable Dungeon is the product of a one-man team, who needs some extra funding for things like music, servers, licences and hardware to be able to finish the game.

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  • Goal: $11k+/$8,315
  • Time left: 11 days (13 November)
  • Game pledge: $12
  • Website(s): Indie DB, Twitter account
  • Other: Steam


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Protocol Games returns to Kickstarter with their story-driven third-person horror Song of Horror. In this game you'll play as washed-up advertiser Daniel Noyer, who works for a publishing house and has been tasked with locating the renowned writer Sebastian P. Husher, who has gone missing from his mansion. You will not only control him though, but also 15 other ordinary people, who are all likely to face an early demise, unless you can save them. The game will use automated cameras for a cinematic experience made to keep tension high as you try to escape an eldritch, medieval horror with no means of fighting back.

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  • Goal: 13k+ €/50k €
  • Time left: 38 days (10 December)
  • Game pledge: 15 €
  • Website(s): Official website
  • Other: DRM-free download available to backers, Steam


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Doko Roko is a 2D roguelike with epic sword-combat and gorgeous dynamic pixel art graphics. In Doko Roko you fight your way upwards a huge tower inhabited by demons, wielding massive meteorite forged swords and conjuring archaic powers out of thin air. By combining procedural generation and hand-crafted elements, the creator aims to create a sprawling world brimming with life and atmosphere, where there are both friends and foes to be found. To succeed in combat, you must master both defensive and offensive techniques, as well as the mystical elements of the game.

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  • Goal: $24k+/$30k
  • Time left: 18 days (20 November)
  • Game pledge: $10
  • Website(s): Developer's website
  • Other: DRM-free download available to backers, Steam


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The latest one to come out of the Square Enix Collective is the story-driven action platformer Pankapu: The Dreamkeeper. Pankapu is an old-school platformer with simple and fun gameplay and a story influenced by Lakota culture and video games like Final Fantasy. The story of Pankapu takes place inside young Djaha'Rell's imagination, though reading between the lines, the player will also discover the tragic story of this troubled child. As the game progresses, Pankapu will acquire new equipment and skills, and will be able to unlock new paths and uncover hidden secrets.

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The developer of the video game adaptations of the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Tin Man Games, has taken to Kickstarter to fund a re-imagining of the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone classics called Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Only a couple of days into their campaign they have already reached and surpassed their goal for the digital tabletop RPG with an interactive 3D map, collectible digital miniatures and an improved combat system. This new adaptation will replace the familiar text based interface with new environments and several playable characters for an interesting new experience rooted in the popular franchise.

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  • Goal: $21k+/$15k
  • Time left: 28 days (30 November)
  • Game pledge: $10 (includes two of their current FF games DRM free and on Steam)
  • Website(s): Official website, developer's website
  • Other: DRM-free download available to backers, Steam


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The Losers

The campaign for first-person survival horror Allison Road was cancelled shortly after we wrote about it, but it's not over for this game, since they also announced that they will receive funding from Worms developer Team17. In addition to publishing their own games, Team17 has also built an impressive portfolio of games published under their Indie Label, which includes other crowdfunded games like Yooka-Laylee and Beyond Eyes.

The First Wonder was cancelled after the Rogue Rocket Games team saw the writing on the wall that their ambitious $500k goal was not possibile. Even hiring a PR team and community manager could not guarantee them the major media coverage required for a campaign of that size, now that many large sites tend to ignore kickstarters not run by celebrities. Multiple options are now being explored: Steam Early Access, signing with a publisher, or a future crowdfunding campaign (presumably with a much smaller base goal).

Exploration game ESSENCE failed to pick up steam since we last covered it; however, the team is planning to come back stronger than ever, working on a demo that illustrates the gameplay before making another funding attempt.

The Winners

Loyal subjects turned out in droves For the King! Over 3400 backers filled the royal coffers with $133k CAD, more than 3 times the minimum goal for this highly innovative cooperative roguelike.

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Most of the funding for Harebrained Schemes' BATTLETECH was raised within the first days of the campaign's launch, but the amount has continued to creep upwards, and we won't be surprised if they manage to knock down the $2.5m PvP stretch goal by the time the campaign ends in a couple of days.

Things weren't looking good for Memoranda when we last covered it, but when a link to an article about the game was shared by Haruki Murakami's Facebook page, the campaign lurched forward and was funded within the next few days.

Demetrios has been funded and after reaching the Spanish translation stretch goal, the German translation goal is in sight.

Unfortunately, Vortex has been at an almost complete standstill since we last covered the campaign, and is far from the target required for funding.

Indivisible is still fighting an uphill battle, but they have cleared the half a million mark now, and hopefully yesterday's shout-out from the very successful Bloodstained campaign might give them a much needed boost.

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The story of Hello, Neighbor! is set in a small and peaceful village—at least it would seem so on the surface. But why has your neighbor nailed up his basement door? Something doesn't feel right about the man across the street, and you just have to find out what he's hiding in his basement, using any means necessary. He, on the other hand, won't let go of his secrets that easily, and will do his best to outmaneuver your every attempt at getting past him. And as you try and fail, he will adapt and try to predict your next move.

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If developer Dynamic Pixels succeeds in raising the funds necessary to develop this game with the sophisticated A.I. opponent they have envisioned, this looks to be a first-person thriller unlike anything else. You will be able to carry, throw and interact with any object in the game, and can use these items to force entry and create diversions. Your neighbor can do the same, and will attempt to figure out your next move to set traps to keep you out of his home. Of course, the longer you play, the more your opponent will learn about your strategies, so you better be creative if you want to stay one step ahead of him to ultimately uncover his secret.





As usual, we also have a few more campaigns that didn't quite make the cut, but that might still be worth checking out.

Cold Blooded is a Kickstarter Staff Pick about gang activities and drug dealing, which is inspired by tycoons and roguelikes and will be coming to Linux if it can acquire the necessary funding. If you prefer something cuter, you might want to check out the "active tower defence" game Jack Nimble, which comes with a Linux demo. Too cutesy? Ok, how about an interactive visual novel inspired by Japanese and Korean horror, called The Letter then? No? Well, if a school simulator JRPG inspired by Sim City, Final Fantasy and Harry Potter doesn't sound too weird, you might be interested in Valthirian Arc: Red Covenant. If not, we're out of suggestions.

As a bonus though, we thought we'd mention Welcome to Another World, which is a campaign aiming to secure the funds necessary to translate and print the official biography of Eric Chahi, creator of Another World and From Dust. This campaign isn't for a game, but Another World was released for Linux last year.

And with that, we're finally out of campaigns for this time.

Usual plea for help:

Please PM one of the team: (Speedster, flesk and DrMcCoy) if you think you can help or just want to chat about crowdfunding. And of course, remember that you can use the comments, Wiki, or forums to keep us updated on any suggestions that you'd like to see covered. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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About the author -
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A big fan of platformers, puzzle games, point-and-click adventures and niche indie games.

I run the Hidden Linux Gems group on Steam, where we highlight good indie games for Linux that we feel deserve more attention.
See more from me
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9 comments

Segata Sanshiro Nov 2, 2015
QuoteWith the advent of Linux powered console gaming upon us, we've seen a massive increase in games releasing with day-one support for Linux and more and more older games getting Linux ports. What is perhaps more surprising is how prevalent Linux support has become in crowdfunding, and lately we have even seen biggies like The Dwarves, Indivisible and First Wonder go out of their way to provide Linux versions of their games.

It's a good indication that the culture of developers as a whole is changing to one where cross-platform development is taken into account before even starting work on it. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, all platforms will be essentially the same in terms of their offerings.
muntdefems Nov 2, 2015
Excellent choice of games! I think I'll back a couple of them.

Also, I love the new "quick fact" bullet points, they provide essential information at a glance, in a far more efficient way than before. We should have implemented a long time ago... :P
flesk Nov 2, 2015
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Quoting: muntdefemsExcellent choice of games! I think I'll back a couple of them.

Also, I love the new "quick fact" bullet points, they provide essential information at a glance, in a far more efficient way than before. We should have implemented a long time ago... :P

Thanks for the feedback. :) The reason why we decided to go with the bullet points is because it's much easier to type up than a second paragraph, and it gets the same information across. Happy to hear that it works from a reader's perspective too. :)

I just realized that we forgot several games in the "What Happened?" section. :S:

* The Journey Down was funded with an impressive kr 409k SEK total.
* Sol Trader barely reached their £10k and was funded.
* We quoted Haque developer Kevin Cole in this article, but forgot to mention that his game was funded.
* And finally, Top Secret was also funded.

We also briefly mentioned a few other projects, but I don't think we'll make a habit of posting updates for those. With the exception of life-sim RPG Rite of Life, none of them were funded.
flesk Nov 2, 2015
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Here's a new campaign that just launched and looks very interesting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1659894998/failsafe/

"a first-person parkour game about exploration, forgotten worlds, and secrets"

Yes, please! :)
ricki42 Nov 2, 2015
Quoting: fleskHere's a new campaign that just launched and looks very interesting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1659894998/failsafe/

"a first-person parkour game about exploration, forgotten worlds, and secrets"

Yes, please! :)

This looks really interesting. Will keep an eye on it.
ricki42 Nov 3, 2015
Quoting: fleskHere's a new campaign that just launched and looks very interesting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1659894998/failsafe/

"a first-person parkour game about exploration, forgotten worlds, and secrets"

Yes, please! :)

Sorry about the double post, but have they indicated anywhere whether the beta will be on all platforms?
flesk Nov 4, 2015
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Quoting: ricki42
Quoting: fleskHere's a new campaign that just launched and looks very interesting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1659894998/failsafe/

"a first-person parkour game about exploration, forgotten worlds, and secrets"

Yes, please! :)

Sorry about the double post, but have they indicated anywhere whether the beta will be on all platforms?

I asked them about it, and they replied that they plan a first round of beta testing with Windows only, and then a second round, which will include Linux and Mac. If all goes according to plan, they should start beta testing this coming spring.
ricki42 Nov 4, 2015
Quoting: fleskI asked them about it, and they replied that they plan a first round of beta testing with Windows only, and then a second round, which will include Linux and Mac. If all goes according to plan, they should start beta testing this coming spring.

OK, thanks for finding out! I might jump in at the beta level then.
flesk Nov 4, 2015
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No problem. I'm very tempted by that tier myself.

I also just got a response to my inquiry about a DRM free version of Pankapu: It's something they're planning, but it will likely come after the Steam release since they want to get the backer exclusive shields and weapons at the 25 € and above tiers out first.
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